In Istanbul, the Turkish authorities have issued arrest warrants targeting 63 active-duty military personnel, citing connections to a faction blamed for an attempted coup in 2016. According to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the suspects include four colonels and are spread across the army, navy, air force, and gendarmerie. As part of raids conducted early on Friday morning across the nation, 56 individuals have already been apprehended.
These arrests are linked to what Turkey terms the Fethullahist Terror Organization, or FETO, which is held responsible for orchestrating the failed coup. The group was led by Fethullah Gulen, who lived in self-imposed exile in the United States from 1999 until his death in October last year. The 2016 uprising resulted in the loss of approximately 290 lives as dissident military factions sought to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration by launching attacks in Ankara and Istanbul. Jet fighters targeted the parliament and the presidential palace, and Erdogan narrowly evaded capture or assassination while vacationing on the country’s west coast.
In the aftermath of the attempted coup, the Turkish government conducted extensive purges within key state sectors, including the military, police, and judiciary, leading to the arrests of tens of thousands. Organizations with links to Gulen, including schools, businesses, and media outlets, were also shut down. The prosecutor’s statement from Friday asserted that those being pursued were identified through telecommunications records, arguing that FETO still presents a significant risk to Turkey’s constitutional stability and state security. Since the coup bid, 25,801 military suspects have been detained.
The specific charges against the recently targeted individuals remain unspecified. Fethullah Gulen, once a cleric, amassed a global network of followers and even facilitated Erdogan’s political ascent beginning in 2003. However, the partnership faltered when Erdogan’s regime began closing Gulen’s educational institutions and Gulenists within law enforcement and judiciary circles pursued corruption investigations against Erdogan’s government. Gulen consistently denied any involvement in the coup attempt. Despite Turkey’s numerous requests for his extradition, he remained in the U.S. until his death.
The unsuccessful coup attempt has notably reinforced authoritarian dynamics within Turkey, with President Erdogan’s government instituting measures to bolster his hold on power.